Newbie Needs Help w/C-2 Drawbars

[Guest]

Hi everybody,
I was wondering if someone could tell me what the first and third ranks of drawbars on a C-2 are supposed to control? I recently began playing the organ for my church, and our C-2 hasn't been played regularly for 15+ years. Everything works fine (after oiling), but these two sets of drawbars don't alter anything when pulled out. I'm assuming that's a problem w/the organ?
I'm a real noob, both to the forum and to organs in general, so any help you've got for me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance! :-)

[ShadyJoe]

Check out your preset keys, the reverse colored ones. The B is probably pushed down. This controls one set of drawbars. Now push the B flat. That controls the other set of drawbars. Next try any of the other presets. You'll find each has it's own sound, none of them affected by any of the drawbars.

[Hamman]

Shady Joe is right. The reversed colored keys on the left of the manuals are your presets the 2 sets of drawbars on the left are for your upper (swell) manual and the 2 sets on the right are for your lower (great) manual. Like Shady Joe said Upper first set of drawbars are activated by using the b-flat (A#) preset,second set B preset. Same for lower manual on sets 3 and 4. I'm sure this organ has the "rachet" style drawbars as opposed to the smooth meaning you have this distint clicking when youre adjusting the drawbars. Make sure to position them in the "notch" to get the full sound of the drawbar(s) Some older C2 came with the smooth drawbars ....hopefully yours? As with any Hammond if it hasnt been played in awhile...sometimes just playing it will work out some of the scratchiness or faint tones...they need to be played;-) Do you know what kind of speaker you have with it?

[Guest]

Thanks guys. I guess I just assumed that the Bb was a preset like the rest of them. Nothing's really labeled on a C-2, so if you don't know, you don't know. I'll be sure to try that next time I practice. I'm sure you guys are right.
@Hamman - It's hooked up to a Leslie HR-40. It does actually have the smooth drawbars too: I assume that's a plus?

[indianajo]

I played a C2 in a church after the organist & choir director moved away, in the seventies. I never figured out what the drawbars did either. The speaker kept making this weird woo-woo-woo noise like a fat opera singer wearing the steel bustier and the horns- took me forever to figure out how to turn it off to make a nice church sound.
What was cool about it was it was older than dirt, maybe older than mother's philco TV, and still worked and was in tune. The grand piano they had was pretty far out of tune.

[Hamman]

@Hamman - It's hooked up to a Leslie HR-40. It does actually have the smooth drawbars too: I assume that's a plus?

Yes! That is a plus! If they are real scratchy when you move them (audio) then you might consider using some "tuner" spray on them!

[handyczech]

Hammond presets are not labeled because you can CHANGE them to suit yourself. Hammond and others sold stickers but they are usually gummy and gross after 50 or more years, and not needed anyway, IMHO.

By the way, an HR-40 is not a Leslie, just like a Ford is not a Chevrolet.

[Guest]

Well, a thanks to those who responded. ShadyJoe & Hamman - you guys were right, of course. I did some practicing today, and everything works fine using the Bb selector. And, I found an old booklet made by Hammond that details how to obtain a bunch of classical organ regs using the drawbars. I had no idea the drawbar system was so versatile!
I'm officially hooked...

[Hamman]

Great! now wait till you get by the Leslie Bug!!LOL